I imagine most projects will never leave the hard drive they're first written to. Writing a basic "half-assed" makefile that works for the initial author is fin

I imagine most projects will never leave the hard drive they're first written to. Writing a basic "half-assed" makefile that works for the initial author is fine. If a project turns out useful, rewrite the makefile as people need the compatibility. There's little point in wasting the time when you're just starting out.